Veronica Kane
by Lorelei Candice Black
Summary: Short. Pre-series. Veronica learns that she is a Kane when Keith gets killes saving Jake's life...


_I didn't make it as long as i first intended. I just don't have much time now and i didn't want it to lay around much longer. I hope you still like it. If someone wants to write a sequel, just tell me!_

* * *

Veronica Mars… Veronica Kane… In less than 6 hours, she had gone from being Veronica Mars, daughter of the sheriff to being Veronica Kane, daughter of Jake Kane.

How did that happen?

Well, everyone knows how her mother was having an affair with Jake Kane and how she, Veronica, is the illegitimate child of said Jake Kane. At least the ones that where present at Jake Kane birthday party knew.

Her mother was long gone, she had abandoned her 3 years ago, and her father had told her the possibility of her not being a Mars a week ago. She had taken paternity tests and the results came in that day. She opened them with Lilly and Duncan, her best friends. Jake Kane was walking in the room to tell them it was time to join the party when they read the results out loud. Celeste heard them too.

She yelled it out loud: "Leanne's daughter is yours?!"

Of course Keith was there and heard it. He rushed toward Veronica just as she was saying: "This won't change the fact that Keith Mars is my father Misses Kane. I just wanted to know if Duncan, Lilly and I were related, that's all. The last thing I want is to intrude in your life and family; I respect you too much for that Misses Kane. A mother that doesn't run away from her children is to be respected…" And Celeste understood that this 15 years old blond girl probably hated Leanne as much as she did.

Then, the rest happened very fast.

Neither Keith nor Jake had the time to say anything. Their was a loud crash from just behind them and they saw a red haired woman rushing toward them, yelling at Jake how much of a bastard he was for not wanting to have an affair with her and for breaking her heart. She pointed a gun at the billionaire and shouted. Keith looked at Veronica and saw how afraid she was all of a sudden. He ran in front of the biological father of his daughter.

At this point, everyone was around. Veronica was crying, in a last breath, Keith said:

"I'll always be proud of you sweetie, give Jake a chance. Don't let your mother near you again. Celeste, please, take Veronica away, I don't want her to see that." The woman smiled and took Veronica in her arms, knowing that it wouldn't be long until she was a part of the Kane family.

Now here she was, crying in the arms of her biological father, with the support of his whole family while waiting for the ambulance guys to tell them if Keith survived or not. Also she knew he wouldn't, she felt it.

Then she looked up to the man that just walked in:

"I'm sorry miss, your father… It was too late… He died."

Veronica broke; she was on the floor, crying even harder then before. Lilly ran to her side and said:

"Come on Veronica, Keith wouldn't have wanted to see you act like that!"

"It doesn't matter anymore! My mother is an alcoholic that hit me and left one day without saying a word. My father is dead and now I don't have anybody left!"

Veronica was sure that Celeste hated her and she thought that living with her biological father was not an option.

"You have us!" Celeste said, before adding "Listen, I know I didn't act very nicely with you, but Leanne have hurt you even more than she did me… I had no reason to hate you that much. You are welcome here."

Then she turned toward Jake and added "You should make the proper arrangements for your daughter Jake."

6 hours. Really, it doesn't take much to change a life. Keith body was taken away and the Kane's were trying to change Veronica's mind. Jake had asked a maid to prepare a room near Lilly's for Veronica.

"Thanks mister Kane." She said.

"Veronica, please, at least call me Jake…"

"Ok… I can't believe it… When I think that Lilly wanted me to date Duncan…" Veronica looked pale at that moment.

"That was only if you weren't my biological sister, this way you could have became my sister in law." Lilly explained.

That made Veronica laugh, especially since Duncan made a comment about how Lilly decided who he should date, then he said that he was going to use the bathroom, if Lilly agreed with that fact. Also Veronica was sure that she heard him say "Meg" at some point in his mumbling.

It was getting late and Veronica was exhausted. She went to the room that would be hers from now on. She knew that the next day would be long. She needed to arrange Keith's burial, then fill in the papers that would make her officially a Kane.

Two days later, it was her father's burial. A lot of people were there. The Kane's of course came to support their new member. The whole sheriff department was there. The Echolls came. Veronica always thought that Logan had a thing for Lilly, but she didn't know that he was flirting with Lilly only because he thought she would date Duncan. Now that she was a Kane, it changed everything. He looked at her, crying, looking so broken while her father's coffin was buried and he wanted to hold her tight in his arms, and he wanted to tell her that he was there for her, that he loved her more than he could love anybody else… But she was between Lilly and her step-mother. Everyone was surprise to see how nice Celeste was with Veronica, but the ones who knew her and the whole story understood that it was because she could get back at Leanne and hurt her in getting the girl's love. Or maybe it was because Leanne had hurt both of them a lot…

The next morning, everyone got up for breakfast at the same time.

"Lilly, could you find some time to drive me to the hair dresser please?" Veronica asked.

"Sure, why?" Her best friend/half sister asked.

"I don't want to look like that… I… I can't… It's not me… Never was…. My so called mother liked it so I kept them long to please her but… I need a change… Please!" Veronica had now tears in her eyes, everyone could see that.

"No problems. We'll leave as soon as you are ready to go!" Lilly answered, smiling softly.

None of the girl saw the exchange of looks between Celeste and Jake. When they both seemed to agree, Jake talked:

"Veronica, before you go, come find me in my office, I'll give you a credit card. Duncan and Lilly both have one and God know you'll be more responsible with it than Lilly!"

"That's for sure" Lilly said, smiling.

"You don't have to you know!" veronica said.

"We want to Veronica!" Celeste and Jake said in the same time.

"Ok then. Thanks!"

"Good then! Lilly and you will go shopping too. And don't come back before 5PM! I want you to have a little distraction!" Jake said, before leaving the table.

Veronica dressed herself with a pretty black dress than stopped at her knees. She looked very pretty in it.

"Duncan, do you want to come with us?" Veronica asked her brother as they were about to leave. He didn't seem to be up to a day of shopping with his two sisters but he felt very protective over his new found little sister these days.

"Sure, why not, I mean, how bad can it be for me?"

"Great, you'll buy a little gift for Meg too then!" He didn't know why Veronica wanted him to buy Meg a gift as her birthday was still months away, but he knew he would end up buying something if the two girls decided on it.

The day was exhausting! Duncan swore that he would never go with them again. But then he saw the smile on Veronica's face reaching her eyes for the first time since Keith's death, and he knew he would join his sisters again as soon as they'd ask him, just to keep the tears out of her eyes.

They came into the living room where Jake and Celeste were playing cards. Veronica came to them, hugged them and gave them each a bag.

"Veronica, you didn't have to, you were going shopping for you not for us!" Celeste said.

"I know, but you two did a lot for me these last days and I needed to find a way to thank you for everything… It's not much but…"

"It's great Veronica! Thank you!" Jake said after opening his bag. Celeste smiled after seeing her gift.

"Great, now you're going to make us look bad V!" Lilly joked.

Duncan left soon after that, he had a date with Meg and a gift to give her… He had been right, Veronica bugged him until he bought something!

Jake and Celeste watched as their two kids got along with Veronica. Off course they were friends before, but it was nice to see that they still had the same connection knowing that she was their stepsister. Jake was glad that Celeste accepted Veronica; also he understood that Veronica was very hard to dislike.


End file.
